Ancient action platformer returns in Zool Redimensioned, out now
The Amiga revival continues
I'm squinting, but I don't see a single Chupa Chup anywhere in the trailers or screenshots for Zool Redimensioned. Playing the original platformer back on the Amiga was the first time I encountered product placement in a videogame, but it seems Zool's love for a particular brand of lollipops has been lost amid the switch to modern resolutions.
You can find a trailer below for the remaster, which is out now.
I had a quick play of Redimensioned and it's doing plenty to modernise the ancient platformer. There are level select screens, checkpoints, and a brief tutorial, all of which I appreciate. There are also two distinct modes: "Redimensioned", which adds a double-jump and leaves the need to gather collectables to progress; and "Ultimate Ninja", which more closely resembles the original game.
The original Zool, however, is less a classic and more an old. It felt to me like an also-ran Sonic when I was 8 and that hasn't changed just because nearly 30 years have passed since. It's not bad, but the things that made it distinct - going fast, and being available on non-Sega consoles - have diminished with time.
What I find most interesting about the remaster is that it was developed by Sumo Digital Academy, "a talent development programme creating new pathways into the games industry." It seems likely that Zool Redimensioned was programmed by a group of people who weren't alive when it was first released, and it seems like a neat way of helping new people into the industry. Here's a video of its developers discussing the programme:
If you disagree with me about Zool not being a classic and long to replay it in its original form, there's also an emulation option that'll boot the actual original game. It feels faster than the new game, although that might be because you can only see a tiny portion of the screen at any given moment. Zool is also one of the games confirmed for the A500 Mini retro console.
You can pick up Zool Redimensioned from Steam for £8/€8.